Lesson Plan "Force"

FORCE

Author: Anna Mansbridge, Creative Dance Center, Seattle Age: 7 - adult Length of lesson: 50 minutes. This lesson is written for a remote class but can easily be adapted to in-person teaching.

1. Warming-up (Teacher-directed)

BrainDance: Alternate single and multi focus: Breath - single, Tactile - multi, Core-Distal – single, Head-tail – multi, Upper - single, Lower – multi, Body-Side – single etc Suggested Music: Gradual Motion by Peter Jones, #6,“Perpetual”

Introduce the Concept: “see, say, hear and do” Focus: single, multi, internal, external, serial (BCDE, 2nd ed., pg. 100)

2. Exploring the Concept (Student-centered)

Single Focus and Multi-focus (BCDE 2nd ed., pg. 106)

ABC Suite

A I will call out an object in the room. Focus on that object, and I will call out a locomotor skill to dance to that object.

B We will keep focused on that object and dance a nonlocomotor skill in self-space.

C We will dance multi-focus, viewing objects in a scattered manner.

Then I will call out a different object to focus on, and we will repeat the ABC structure. Examples of locomotor and non-locomotor pairings: sneak/twist, grapevine/rise & sink, roll/wiggle, leap/float, dart/stretch & bend etc. Suggested Music: Music for Creative Dance, Vol. 1-5, Potpourri

Reflection: Which focus do you use the most in your day, single focus or multi-focus? Free dance demonstrating the focus you use the most.

3. Developing Skills (Teacher-directed)

a. Feet in parallel: bend & flex right foot to ball, flat. Repeat. Flex foot, toe reach, flex, flat foot. Extend foot to the front (tendu), close. Tendu, bend knees weight on both feet with forward bend of body, tendu and close. Float to a rise and lower. Do right & left. 16 counts free dance multi-focus general space. Turn legs out to first position and repeat above to the front, 16 counts improv for recuperation, then to the side, and back. Suggested music: Joyful Noise by Andy Monroe, Vol 2, #6, “Theresa”

- 4 gallops sideways. Change legs and do 4 more gallops sideways. Repeat (8 counts). - Spin focused on an object in the room (8 counts). - Make a shape focused on a body part (8 counts). - Dance in self-space using multi-focus (16 counts). - Make a balancing shape with eyes closed (8 counts). - Sink focused on the ceiling, Rise focused on the floor (8 counts). Suggested Music: Joyful Noise by Andy Monroe, Vol 2, #9, “Hoedown”

4. Creating (Student-centered)

Focus Fun (BCDE 2nd ed., pg.198) Internal Focus: dancers improvise with internal focus in self-space. Single Focus: Dancers copy the movements of another dancer on the screen who may or may not be aware that they are being copied. Multi-focus: improvise using a scattered focus. Suggested Music: New Impossibilities, The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma.

5. Cool Down

Share in two groups. Perform one movement you saw that you noticed. Make a shape that you noticed.

Sit with eyes closed and reflect on what was enjoyable about the lesson, and think about one thing that you will take-away and explore with your students. Quick review Single, Multi, Internal, External and Serial focus.

Resources from Anne Green Gilbert

Brain-Compatible Dance Education, 2nd edition. Human Kinetics, 2019. Creative Dance for All Ages 2nd Edition. Anne Green Gilbert. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2015 Teaching The Three Rs Through Movement. Anne Green Gilbert. (1977), NDEO, 2002 BrainDance (2 DVD set). Anne Green Gilbert. creativedance.org/store, 2016 Teaching Creative Dance (DVD). Anne Green Gilbert. creativedance.org/store, 2002 BrainDance Music. Eric Chappelle. creativedance.org/store Music for Creative Dance Volumes 1-5. Eric Chappelle.

Anna Mansbridge, educator and choreographer, holds a B.Ed Honors Degree from Bedford College of Higher Education, UK, and an MFA from Mills College, CA. She has taught dancers of all ages at the Creative Dance Center, Seattle, WA (founded by Anne Green Gilbert) since 1999, and she directs Kaleidoscope Dance Company. Anna joined the daCi USA board in 2009, and was the Chair 2017-2020.